The idea that a mixtape is of lesser quality than an album is a sad misconception. Even if it may have been the case up until very recently, future generations of music fans and critics alike will no longer judge an artist’s career solely off of their album discography. And why should they? That being said, the streaming service that truly wins between, TIDAL and Spotify could simply be the one with a vast discography of mixtapes available at the touch of a finger. The receptions to tapes like So Far Gone, The Warm Up, Da Drought 3 and even Future’s recent Monster, Beast Mode and 56 Nights have seen to it. They have all been primary factors in cementing the respective rappers’ place in the game for an extensive period. If you put less effort into music you know you’ll release for free, we’d rather not receive any music at all.
Part of the reason for this careless perception of tapes lies in the fact that after reaching new heights in their careers, most rappers stray away from dropping a free body of work for the public. We forget that in 2007 just months before Graduation hit stores, Kanye West dropped Can’t Tell Me Nothing, a free digital-only release. Why it’s rarely discussed is because it consisted of some snippets, some Kanye West features and remixes, and some appearances by G.O.O.D. Music affiliates like GLC and Common. It felt more like a compilation of throwaways that was rushed together rather than the masterpiece standard which his albums are held to. The exception to the rule would be Lil Wayne who still drops mixtapes frequently, but some would argue that Wayne’s quality of music has decreased.
Another reason that we don’t hold mixtapes to as high of a standard as we should is because old mixtape tracks are often used for artists’ studio albums. It would be very odd for a rapper to use a song from a previous album on their latest album, so why do we think it is fine for him/her to use the successful mixtape tracks on albums? Over time, moves like these have contributed to the degradation of mixtapes.
And then there’s the case of EPs. More and more artists are releasing EPs these days on retail. These 5-6 song projects give artists a chance to test waters with their fans without the pressure of album sales and the success of singles, while also giving them the chance to end a drought. On top of that, they get the opportunity to monetize their material instead of just throwing it out there and getting nothing in return.
G-Unit recently did that with two back to back EPs after reuniting last year: The Beauty Of Independence and The Beast Is G-Unit. Adds Tony: “The attention span of the consumer is getting shorter and shorter, you can listen to a million different records a day with the internet. So even though you might have a buzz, it doesn’t mean kids want to listen to a tape with 18 records and a DJ shouting all over it. An EP can showcase your range and sounds as an artist and at the same time not overwhelm or bore the consumer. Sometimes less is more.”
The release of Drake and Future’s What A Time Time To Be Alive last night has evoked this conversation even more. Some may say that just because it’s up for sale, doesn’t mean we should go ahead and call it an “album”. But others debate that since there’s a considerable price tag of $9.99 on it, it is not correct to call it a “mixtape” anymore. Both arguments are valid but in the back of our heads, we all really know how and what a proper studio album is supposed to feel like.
Many argue that Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is essentially an album done in a non traditional way but would you hold aura around it in the same regard as his other studio albums like Thank Me Later, Take Care and Nothing Was The Same? Probably not and that’s where the ambiguity comes in.
Perception is everything. Will we have higher standards for a collection we paid our hard earned money for versus one we received as a free download? Yes, we will. And that changes everything when we judge a project on the tag of an album or a mixtape.
So is What A Time To Be Alive an album or a mixtape? Or is the music industry soon going to formally adopt the term “project” for instances like these which are only going to take place more frequently from hereon.
Let us know your thoughts.
– by Akaash Sharma & Navjosh
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